The soldiers of the Empire train every day to fight in specialized formations that rely on their legendary discipline — the Detachment System. The unique combination of parent units and Detachments can be quite a tactical headache for opponents of the Empire. However, the vast number of Empire troops on the tabletop at any one time can lead to questions like, "Which parent unit does that Handgunner Detachment belong to again?" In order to avoid this confusion, collectors of the Empire should consider creating a theme for their State Troops. You can achieve this theme by simply thinking about your chosen paint scheme in terms of a matching parent/Detachment colour variation or badge. Banners in parent units are a great place to paint insignia which are then replicated in its detachments.

However, the parent/Detachment relationship opens the door for some pretty uniquely themed conversion to make command ranks and matching Detachment look like they work together. The State Troop plastics are just waiting for your hobby skills to transform them into a one-of-a-kind force that represents your own imagined corner of the Empire. Smart conversion work paired with smart paint schemes equals one nicely thought-out and original army. On the next few pages, we present several ideas that may help to get your brain fired up and thinking in this direction, along with a page of themed banner examples by Design Studio Artist Dave Andrews.